judykarp

Content Count

43

Joined

July 23, 2013

Last visited

Saturday at 10:39 PM

About judykarp

Rank

Hero Member

Profile Information

Location

Brooklyn,NY

Interested in Sound for Picture

Yes

About

I'm based in Brooklyn and I've been recording sound for film and television for over 30 years. I used to split my time between features and documentaries but now it seems like I'm doing exclusively docs.

Last week I did a documentary job where the production required a simultaneous translation into English, of three subjects speaking Korean in both interview and verite situations. Obviously, the translator needed to hear the Korean. The director, producer and cameraperson had to hear the translator's English translation. In addition, the production wanted (if possible) a scratch track for editing. I set up a system, one that I've used many times in the past, sending the translator, who was in another room, a mixed track of the 3 subjects from my SD633 via an old lectro 195 wireless with a headphone jack. I had her speak (softly) into a wireless which I sent to a free iso track on my SD633 and output that sound as an iso to a comtek transmitter. I provided comteks for the 3 people that needed to hear the English translation.
Obviously, this system is cumbersome, complicated, and not very elegant, but it does work. As I was wrangling equipment and changing batteries it occurred to me that in the age of Blue Tooth, small digital consumer devices,cell phone, etc. there must be an easier way. I'd like to hear how others have solved this problem. Thanks, Judy

I have a job with a DVX 200 tomorrow. The only other time I worked with this camera, I couldn't get it to read my timecode sent via my sync box. I just read some old posts that said that the camera will not work with tentacle sync or other sync boxes. Is that still the case?

I definitely have a broken lyre. I was using it with my DPA 4017B and heard a rattle. I had no idea it was supposed to be "indestructible" so I bought a new one. I'm not sure when it happened but I'm pretty sure it wasn't under extreme conditions. It broke in the same place as the one in the photograph.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/30/theater/the-encounter-review.
I'm recommending Broadway Show "The Encounter" which you can "see" with your eyes closed, through headphones. The sound design is multi-layered, complex and amazing. I'll see it again because it took me an hour to get beyond the "how'd they ever do that?" and "where is that sound coming from?" factors and to just relax and enjoy the play. It's very good storytelling, technically seamless and ultimately probes questions of the nature of reality, time, etc. It's also fun.

I was on a doc with an Amira a few weeks ago and the cameraperson spent a lot of time shooting slo-mo. The camera said "Sound Disabled" and I was assuming that these were "B roll" type shots. I still boomed them but in a more "relaxed" manner, not reaching for every word, etc.
We're doing the same kind of shoot tomorrow and the director informed me that they want the option of speeding slo-mo shots up to 24 fps and syching the sound to my card. I'm going into the camera via camera hop and recording on my 633. It's no problem for me to boom everything in my usual diligent manner, but is it possible for them to sync this sound and is it common practice to have the option to speed up slo motion shots?
Thanks, Judy

Thanks again for all the feedback. Basically, I've been advising production all along of these problems and making it sound even worse than you've all been making the situation sound. They are duly advised by me in person and in writing (a friendly email to the second soundperson advising her of the problems with the director and producer cc'd). It's part of a long documentary shoot and all of this material could wind up being B-Roll with voice over, etc. but seems like a huge waste of a 4 day shoot. Tomorrow is Day 1 of this part of the shoot and maybe things will change when they "see" what I've been saying all along.
P.S. The photographer will be wired and she in fact may be more cooperative when she actually sees the problem on the day.
P.S. It certainly does not help that every time I bring up these issues, the DP says, proudly, "I'm from a narrative background. I know nothing about sound." I want to teach a workshop, "Sound for Camera people." I have trained the DP I work with most to wear headphones and it has made a world of difference, not only in the production sound but in her shooting and in the content of the material that we deliver.

Thanks for all the suggestions and "answers." Production just told me that earpieces of any kind are definitely out. They said that the still photographer will work closely with us but I'm not sure anyone knows what that means. I am definitely checking out sound baffles.
Thanks again,
Judy

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've never been happy using earwigs, even with actors on features (and they are fragile and expensive to rent and wouldn't be under my control because I'd be off shooting in another part of the space) but the suggestion of earwigs gave me an idea. The shoot will be noisy as fuck, as Nate said, even without music, which is part of what we are capturing on these days. I'm planning to get a lot of wild sound-hair dryers, flashes, walking and talking etc. But I was wondering if it's possible to use an IPOD or I PHONE with blue tooth ear buds or an IPOD nano as substitute earwigs, so that the models and the photographer can hear their music and the music will sound like just more annoying noise, which will be fine for this shoot, not like Beyonce singing. The bluetooth earbuds can be hidden in the model's clothing, if not their ears, when they are actually being shot.
My ideal system would be one music source, going to multiple bluetooth headsets. Is this a possibility and does anyone know which earbuds might work best and/or if a system like this would work at all?

I'm working on a documentary about Plus Size Models and we are documenting a fashion shoot in a studio that's approximately 5,000 sq. feet. The actual photo shoot, hair and make-up, wardrobe, etc. are all contained within this open space. The photographer says that she must have music to shoot the models, the doc director wants to have intimate conversations, when they are in hair and make up and when they are talking amongst themselves. The shoot will take place over four days, and is to be used for content, not as "B-Roll." We've all discussed the fact that the music will be a huge problem for the doc, cutting wise, rights wise, and dialogue wise and we are negotiating with the photographer, who is certainly willing to work with us, but wants the models to look as good and be as relaxed and comfortable as possible and they are used to working with background music blasting. In other words, there is no "enemy" here, everyone "gets it" but it's still a tough situation, with many competing needs.
Any suggestions for isolating or minimizing the music in ways I may not be thinking of?